Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream'

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Photograph caption:

Orange Dream Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream')

Photograph by: Nancy Fiers of Mountain Maples, Laytonville, California, USA

Japanese maples have been grown and selected, first by the Japanese and then much of the Western world, for over 300 years. The 250+ cultivars enchant collectors with their seemingly endless combinations of leaf shapes and colors, sizes and growth habit. 'Orange Dream' is especially prized for its orange emerging leaves.

© 2003 The Maple Society

 

Here is another image of Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream'.

 

Here's some pics from my very small tree.

 

Spring Foliage

Close-up taken 3/28/05 and full tree on 4/4//05.

 

Like 'Katsura', 'Orange dream' seems precocious to lost his leaves.
Pictures taken today.

 

Here's a small orange dream I planted a couple of weeks ago. He's in his fall color. This one is planted between two large bushy crepe myrtles in a slightly raised bed.

 

The Orange Dream is a little less orange and a little more yellow which speaks well to yearly variability and changes with age. Still tender in the sun, it is a solid variety with potential in the correct setting.

 

Some recent pics from this spring.Colours look nice this year, better than the previous three years that I've had this tree.

 

WOW! This guy is really strutting his stuff this year! Photo taken 3/29/07. This has been an easy, no maintenance JM for 4 years in hot humid conditions....no leaf loss, burn or pest problems. Hope I'm not jinxing myself!
Ginger

 

My favorite spring time maple, the color is outstanding until mid June. It seems to glow and stands out among the other trees in early season. The higher(more exposed) leaves tend to burn and shrivel up pretty good by Sept..

Keith

 

raised and introduced by Giordano Gilardelli nursery Omate Milano Italy www.gilardelli.it

 

very excited to see what this tree can do... First leaves

 

First leaves on a 2 foot 'Orange Dream' - looks good!

Swanny

 

I think this tree is a got to have tree for any collector.

Krautz

 

It is tops on my list, the summer electric green is what gets me. The orange in spring is good but it does not last long. It is a pretty hardy tree, i put it in full sun but I do get some leaf burn at the top. I find it the best in shade.

 

Anyone ever seen the fall color of this plant be dark crimson? Appears more along the lines of Bloodgood(in color only) this year. Past two years was "standard" red-rimmed yellow. Thanks for replies!!

 

All you owners of the lovely Orange Dream,can you clear something up for me?
Am I right in saying 'Orange Dream' has a smooth almost painted looking bark like Beni-Schichihenge and others?,and also a generally more rounded look to the leaves as opposed to the species?(often elongated looking)
I'm assuming the smooth barked ones I've seen are correct as it's obviously not the species.
The reason I'm asking is because as MAF has pointed out in another thread,there's a lot of seed/cutting produced ODs appearing everywhere here in england(even in safeways/morrisons supermarkets!)
I've noticed however these cheap little trees have the normal flecked bark of the species and look all the world to be just that....even the glossy photos on the labels are nothing special.
Now I'm willing to accept (though it's wrong),that these trees may not be 'authentic' and that the general public would know no different as even the species exhibits some orange and yellow tones in spring.....but what's confusing me is that I recently saw a couple of large grafted ODs with standard looking bark,but their form and leaf shape looked correct(though I never witnessed their spring/fall colours)
I know all you owners of the genuine article can clear this up instantly,and I thank you in advance if you do.I've only ever seen one mature OD in spring and it was truly beautiful.
Oh and 'Smittles'....I'd say yes if my tree is OD,but I'm having doubts because it was red in autumn and I haven't seen it in spring yet...can OD have pale almost white centres to some leaves continuing into autumn?

 

Houzi, the 'Orange Dream' maples I have seen in supermarkets in the UK have all been from cuttings, not seed; no mistaking the way they have grown like cuttings. Not 100% sure if they have all been true to type because the colours are never right when they have been kept in a shop, but saw nothing about them that rang any alarm bells. (I even bought another one from Morrison's, they were so cheap and looked healthy.)

The bark on mine is fairly smooth, certainly not noticeably flecked, but I have seen JM's with smoother bark. The leaf shape is quite distinctive , certainly rounder than the usual small leafed palmatum shape. The first picture shaws the leaf shape quite well, taken in May.

Autumn colour from 2009 in the other pictures. Often red or crimson iirc, and pale leaf centres can be seen in some pics. I remember it had very intense orange/red fall colour this year, the best I have seen it, but can't find any pictures.

 

Ah MAF, I'm glad your OD lived up to your expectations.It's just these two different bark types confused me....and thanks for sharing the photos,I bought an unlabelled tree from a local nursery as it was cheap.We came to the assumption it may be OD as they didn't sell much else...but seeing the crimson/white fall colours made me think otherwise,never seen it on the web.
Now I've seen your pics. I think it could well be OD now,just have to wait 'til spring to confirm.Either way I love the autumn colours and am glad I bought it.
Thanks again for the info MAF,maybe I'll be shopping at Morrisons more in future ha.
PS,I hope the weather ain't getting you down,I'm fed up with it already,and we've been luckier than you.

 

I always like this tree, it is tops on my list for being vivid

 

Thought I'd refresh the thread with some photos of my little Orange Dream, which I'm quite happy with.

 

*repeat, sorry*

 

new growth for the year.....

 

We lost a crapapple tree this year that provided some nice shade for our patio. I chose an orange dream to replace, based on a great experience with another tree now deceased b/c a deer got it. I love this cultivar. Of course, wonderful orange/yellow spring color but it turns to a nice cool green for most of the year, as mentioned above by amazingmaples. Planted a few blue halcyon hostas and some ladyferns for contrast and companion. This is probably the largest tree I have purchased - wish me luck.

 

nice choise paxi!:) remain yellow-orange for more days if is in open sun for many hours,of course leaves burn a little,mine only in summer change the color